Video Game Law

671 | 2.0 credits

Description

The video game business is the fastest-growing segment of the entertainment industry, and -- from a legal point of view -- one of the most complicated. This course will cover the full range of legal questions that must be answered by lawyers whose clients are in this business, including issues involving intellectual property, employment, content regulation and marketing. Among other things, the course will study: employment and work-for-hire agreements between game developers and talent (creative and technical), including talent guild collective bargaining agreements; content licensing agreements between developers and movie production companies; distribution agreements between developers and game publishing companies; technology licensing agreements for game engines and game console compatibility; First Amendment censorship and FTC marketing issues, including potential tort and criminal liability triggered by violent or sexy game content; piracy; and issues raised by the creation and sale of "virtual property" by game players. Although, today, most video games are published and sold to entertain those who play them, a growing number of games are being developed to train and educate players, so this course may be of interest to students who are interested business and technology law, as well as those interested in entertainment law.